U.S. Vaccine Panel Considers Reversing Decades-Old Newborn Shot Recommendation
A pivotal federal vaccine advisory committee is set to meet this week to deliberate a significant shift in public health policy: whether to stop recommending that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine on their first day of life. This shot is historically significant as the first vaccine proven to prevent cancer. The current guidance from U.S. health officials calls for the vaccination of all medically stable infants within 24 hours of birth.
The committee, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), was entirely reconstituted earlier this year by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic. He dismissed all 17 previous members and appointed a new panel that includes several voices critical of vaccination. The committee is expected to vote on changing the newborn recommendation during its meeting on Thursday, a move that would directly contradict established public health advice.
The Stakes: A Lifesaving Vaccine Versus Questions of Trust
Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection. While often short-term in adults, it poses a grave risk to infants. Up to 90% of babies who contract the virus develop a chronic, lifelong infection, which can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer later in life. The virus is commonly spread from an infected mother to her child during birth, but can also be transmitted within households.
The hepatitis B vaccine, first licensed in the U.S. in 1981, has been a public health triumph. The ACIP first recommended a birth dose in 1991. Since then, annual cases in children have plummeted from roughly 18,000 to about 2,200. A recent analysis by the Vaccine Integrity Project, reviewing over 400 studies, affirmed the shot's safety and credited it for the dramatic decline in pediatric infections.
Despite this success, the new committee has expressed skepticism. Member Dr. Evelyn Griffin questioned in a September meeting, "Are we asking our babies to solve an adult problem?" Another member, Dr. Robert Malone, framed the issue as one of "trust," citing parental discomfort with the procedure at birth.
Potential Consequences of a Delay
The exact proposal from the committee remains unclear, but health experts are sounding alarms. A report released this week by public health researchers and advocacy groups estimated that delaying the first dose until 2 months of age could result in at least 1,400 additional hepatitis B infections in children and 480 deaths. The toll would be higher if the delay is longer.
Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which will continue to recommend the birth dose, warned that any change would primarily sow confusion. "If it scares, it shares on social media," he noted. The change may have limited direct financial impact, as the vaccine is often bundled into hospital birth charges, but it could undermine public confidence.
Opposition to the potential change is mounting. A coalition of Northeastern state officials and U.S. Senator Patty Murray have publicly condemned the move. Murray stated that ending the recommendation is "a heartless choice to allow babies to die," and has called for Secretary Kennedy to explain the committee's actions to Congress.
The final decision rests with the newly formed ACIP, setting the stage for a critical juncture in American vaccination policy with potential implications for child health for years to come.